Snowden fears late tackle may wreck his Origin hopes

Brad Walter

SHARKS prop Kade Snowden fears he has jeopardised his NSW Origin prospects after being placed on report for a late tackle on St George Illawarra five-eighth Jamie Soward in yesterday's 22-4 loss at Toyota Stadium.

With the Blues expected to look to the future in Origin III after Queensland secured a fifth consecutive series win in Brisbane last week, Snowden has been widely tipped as one of the new breed NSW selectors are considering ushering in.

But his 17th-minute hit on Soward after he had kicked the ball threatens the 23-year-old's Origin dream, and he will have an anxious wait today for a decision by the NRL's match review committee.

''I'm happy with my form, I just hope I don't get anything for that thing today,'' Snowden said of the incident and his Origin aspirations. ''I think he milked it a bit but other than that I shouldn't have even got that close to him after he kicked it.''

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Referee Tony Archer said Snowden had raised his forearm as he connected with Soward and he therefore had no hesitation in putting the matter on report.

''Kade Snowden is on report for the late hit,'' Archer told Cronulla captain Trent Barrett. ''It was high, he's come through late and raised it [his forearm].''

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Snowden, however, may have found an unlikely ally in Soward, who copped a few heavy hits from Sharks players after kicks and was given a hard time by Cronulla fans.

''That's part of the game but the tackle in the first half, I got hit late and you can't touch the kicker,'' Soward said.

''It is a bit tough if he gets suspended because I had the ball at my feet. It was a little bit late but I think he will be all right.''

With St George Illawarra prop Michael Weyman battling a groin injury that sidelined him yesterday and North Queensland forward Luke O'Donnell suspended, the Blues selectors may need to blood the likes of Snowden and Parramatta prop Tim Mannah in Origin III.

St George Illawarra centre Matt Cooper has been ruled out for four weeks and will miss Origin III with a torn hamstring suffered last Wednesday night but the Dragons are fortunate to have talented rookie Kyle Stanley to deputise.

''Kyle has been outstanding and, while Coops is a big loss, as you saw today with his two tries, Kyle is a good player to come in,'' said Kiwis Test forward Jeremy Smith, who made a successful return from a long layoff with injury. Fullback Darius Boyd said of the 19-year-old Stanley: ''He is playing great footy and it is a credit to him that he can come in like that; he is a young guy and he has got a long career ahead of him.''

Boyd was the victim of the ugly spear tackle in Origin that sparked a wild brawl and cost NSW forward O'Donnell his three-match suspension, but the Queensland winger said he wished no ill will on the Cowboys enforcer.

''Sometimes those things happen and I am sure he didn't mean it,'' Boyd said. ''My neck was a bit sore but aside from that, I was all right. I think I got kneed in the back more than anything when everyone ran in for the fight. That was probably worse than the actual tackle.

''But Origin is always like that - you have fights over the littlest of things and that was pretty big, I suppose. It was good that the boys came in and helped me out after that tackle.''